Oh man. That salty, juicy ham. Those sweet, crisp apples. The creamy and tangy mayo and dijon mustard sauce. That glorious, melty swiss cheese. And that satisfying crunch as you bite into each toasty, buttery bite. This is definitely my new favorite sandwich!
Zach and I were recently gifted a panini press for our anniversary in July. I don’t know how we ever lived without it. Previously, I would make grilled sandwiches in my cast iron skillet (and you certainly can use a grill pan or skillet, if you don’t have a press, for this recipe). But the result paled in comparison to sandwiches made in the panini press. If you don’t have one, and you’re a fan of things like grilled cheese, GET ONE!
The panini press perfectly toasts the outside of the bread without overcooking it, making a super thin, buttery, toasted layer on the outside. The grill marks are perfection. It’s easy to clean because it’s nonstick. It cooks the sandwiches in only about 3 minutes at the perfect temperature. AND, there’s no flipping involved, since it cooks on the top and the bottom! I almost always end up destroying a sandwich if I try and flip it.
Try these ham, apple, and swiss panini with some butternut squash and thyme soup for a wonderful fall meal. And if I’ve convinced you to get a panini press, I recommend this Cuisinart Griddler. The best part about it is that it adjusts to the width of the sandwich and cooks the top flat, so you don’t have to worry about one end cooking faster than the other. The sandwiches come out perfect every time!
